Foreseeing our generation, Amos the prophet declared: “Behold, days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will send a famine on the land; not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the word of God” (Amos 8:11).
Indeed, thirst for the word of God is as real today as it’s ever been. Upon the destruction of the second Temple, the Sages requested that we focus our efforts and energy on quenching this thirst by paying heed to the question of eicha – how. This would not only bring about consolation for the destruction of the temples, it would also pave the way to our final redemption.
A new era began two thousand years ago. Its signature question of “how,” especially as it relates to Judaism, still begs attention. It is high time we attend to it, with conviction and determination.
Let us begin today, as we prepare for our national day of mourning.